Rocky Mountain National Park · Colorado
Wild Basin: Thunder Lake, Lion Lakes, and Upper Ouzel
A difficult two-night Wild Basin lollipop that camps at Thunder Lake, visits Lion Lake No. 1 on the maintained trail network, then camps at Upper Ouzel Creek before returning to the same trailhead. Lion Lakes is a route destination—not a permit campsite in this watch.
Wild Basin Trailhead to Wild Basin Trailhead via Thunder Lake, Lion Lake No. 1, and Upper Ouzel Creek
Read the two nights . For this exact direction and two-night permit order. The permit on Recreation.gov
The lollipop. The shape of it
Three high basins make one sustained Wild Basin lollipop.
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Middle destination · mile 10.162
Lion Lake No. 1 ≈11,075 ft Lion Lake No. 1 is the route destination between the two reserved campsite nights; it is not a permit offer in this watch.
- Wild Basin Trailhead Exact catalog entry
- Thunder Lake Night 1 · individual site
- Lion Lake No. 1 Middle route destination · no permit night
- Upper Ouzel Creek Night 2 · individual site
- Wild Basin Trailhead Exact catalog exit
- Route length
- ≈22.5 miles
- Total climbing
- ≈6,180 ft gain
- High point
- ≈11,115 ft
- permit option
- Individual sites · 1–7 people
- This itinerary
- 2 nights / 3 trail days
Start and finish at Wild Basin Trailhead. Reach Thunder Lake for Night 1, backtrack to the Lion Lake junction and visit Lion Lake No. 1, then return through the shared trail network to Upper Ouzel Creek for Night 2 before hiking out.
Follow the Wild Basin trail network to the Thunder Lake individual campsite for Night 1. The National Park Service lists three individual sites in the forest west of the trail, at 10,570 feet, with a privy and treatable water at the lake inlet and outlet streams.
On the middle day, backtrack to the Lion Lake junction, climb the maintained Lion Lake Trail to Lion Lake No. 1, then reverse to the shared junction and continue toward Bluebird Lake. Camp at Upper Ouzel Creek for Night 2; the designated site is about 0.7 mile below Bluebird Lake.
Return to Wild Basin Trailhead on the third trail day. The complete geometry contains deliberate retraced sections between the three branches; it is a lollipop assembled from the exact published trail paths, not a cross-country shortcut.
Night by night
Two reserved nights around one Lion Lakes visit
Thunder Lake is Night 1. Lion Lake No. 1 is the middle trail destination, not a permit night. Upper Ouzel Creek is Night 2.
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N1
Thunder Lake
Individual wilderness campsite · advance reservation
Climb from Wild Basin Trailhead through the North St. Vrain corridor to the fixed first-night campsite near Thunder Lake.
Thunder Lake · Designated individual wilderness campsite · advance reservation
- Thunder Lake (Snow-free average: July 5)
Reserve the active Thunder Lake individual-site offer for Night 1. The separate group, stock, winter, and cabin offers do not substitute.
- Over
- Thunder Lake Trail
- Camp elevation
- 10,570 ft site listing
- Water
- Treat inlet or outlet water
On the ground. The National Park Service lists three individual sites and a privy. Group, stock, and cabin inventory are separate inventory types.
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N2
Upper Ouzel Creek
Individual wilderness campsite · advance reservation
Visit Lion Lake No. 1, return to the shared junction, and follow the Bluebird Lake corridor to the fixed second-night site.
Upper Ouzel Creek · Designated individual wilderness campsite · advance reservation
- Upper Ouzel Creek (Snow-free average: July 6)
Reserve the active Upper Ouzel Creek individual-site offer for Night 2. Ouzel Lake and winter Ouzel Creek are different provider locations.
- Over
- Lion Lake No. 1
- Camp elevation
- 10,600 ft site listing
- Water
- Treat creek water
On the ground. The National Park Service lists one site and no privy, about 0.7 mile below Bluebird Lake.
The permit
How this two-site Wild Basin watch works
The watch requires both named individual-site offers on consecutive trip dates. It reports openings; it never books, buys, or holds a permit.
- Two exact site-dates
- Thunder Lake must be available for Night 1 and Upper Ouzel Creek for Night 2. One opening alone does not complete the itinerary.
- Lion Lakes is not inventory
- Lion Lake No. 1 is visited on the middle trail day. Recreation.gov does not list Lion Lakes as a campsite offer for this permit.
- Parties one through seven
- This trip uses only current individual-site offers whose provider rules support parties of one through seven.
- Annual opening
- Current guidance opens advance reservations for the May-through-October camping season on March 1 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time.
- Pickup and access
- The permit must be picked up in person. Current guidance says it also serves as timed entry for the permit duration; park entrance requirements remain separate.
- Returned inventory
- A canceled reservation may make its sites available again, but the authority gives no guaranteed return minute.
- An alert is not a booking
- Wild Chime only reports qualifying inventory. The traveler must complete Recreation.gov checkout and every park requirement.
Primary planning intent
Wild Basin campsite-order answers.
Lion Lakes is a route visit between two reserved camps, not a third overnight in this watch.
What is the exact campsite order?
Reserve Thunder Lake for Night 1 and Upper Ouzel Creek for Night 2. Both are named designated campsites.
Wilderness Overnight BackpackingDo I reserve Lion Lakes?
No. This itinerary visits Lion Lake No. 1 on the maintained trail network between the two camps; it is not an overnight selection in this watch.
Thunder Lake Wilderness CampsiteDoes the overnight permit cover all park access?
It serves as timed-entry permission but does not replace the park entrance pass or fee. Check current Wild Basin road and trail conditions separately.
Rocky Mountain National Park Current ConditionsHard-won
Nine things worth knowing first
The branch order, campsite identities, long middle day, and live Wild Basin checks worth settling before departure.
Expect deliberate backtracking
The safe published route retraces shared trail between the Thunder, Lion, and Upper Ouzel branches; it does not cut cross-country between lakes.
Thunder is exact
Choose the individual Thunder Lake offer—not its group, stock, winter, or cabin offers.
Lion is the long link
The measured profile places about 10.5 route miles between the two permit markers, including the Lion Lake No. 1 visit.
Upper Ouzel is exact
Upper Ouzel Creek is separate from Ouzel Lake and winter Ouzel Creek inventory.
The climbing repeats
Three high branches create roughly 6,180 feet of cumulative climbing even though the route never reaches a named pass.
No start time guarantees safety
Use current forecasts and observations, and make conservative decisions as mountain conditions change.
Bring the required canister
Current permit guidance requires a hard-sided bear-resistant food-storage canister and in-person inspection at pickup.
Plan on current stove rules
Campfires are prohibited at both wilderness sites; recheck temporary fire restrictions before leaving.
Recheck every live authority
Wild Chime does not monitor trails, snow, water, weather, closures, fire restrictions, parking, or transportation.
Questions
Wild Basin: Thunder, Lion & Upper Ouzel, asked and answered
Which direction does this exact trip use?
It starts at Wild Basin Trailhead, camps at Thunder Lake, visits Lion Lake No. 1, camps at Upper Ouzel Creek, and returns to Wild Basin Trailhead.
Do I reserve a Lion Lakes campsite?
No. Lion Lake No. 1 is a trail destination on the middle day. The two reserved nights are Thunder Lake and Upper Ouzel Creek.
Can similarly named offers substitute?
No. Group, stock, winter, cabin, and Ouzel Lake offers are different provider locations and do not satisfy these fixed legs.
How hard is the middle day?
The measured route places about 10.5 miles between the two permit markers, with a climb to Lion Lake No. 1 and another climb toward Upper Ouzel.
Does the wilderness permit include timed entry?
Current Recreation.gov guidance says the wilderness permit serves as timed entry for its duration, but entrance fees and all other requirements still apply.
Does an alert reserve the permit?
No. An alert only reports qualifying openings. Wild Chime never books, buys, holds, or completes checkout.
Keep the intent distinct
More trips in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Compare exact permit-night orders rather than substituting a nearby route or reversing the dates.
Exact-trip availability
Watch Wild Basin: Thunder Lake, Lion Lakes, and Upper Ouzel.
Start with this exact direction, overnight order, and the permit locations that fit the saved party. Wild Chime reports qualifying openings; it never books or holds them.
For this exact direction and two-night permit order.
Review the current permit on Recreation.gov